Books
Experience and Its Modes
– Michael Oakeshott, Experience and Its Modes. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1933.“Mr. Oakeshott’s thesis … is so original, so important and so profound that criticism must be silent until his meaning has been long pondered … the chapter on… More
A Guide to the Classics
– Michael Oakeshott and G.T. Griffith, A Guide to the Classics, or, How to Pick the Derby Winner. London: Faber and Faber, 1936.“[To the 1930’s] also belongs the book that Oakshott co-authored with Guy Griffith, A Guide to the Classics, which, to the disappointment of many a student of political… More
The Social and Political Doctrines of Contemporary Europe
– Michael Oakeshott, The Social and Political Doctrines of Contemporary Europe. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1939.“In 1939 Oakeshott published the anthology, The Social and Political Doctrines Doctrines of Contemporary Europe. Its chapters concern Representative Democracy as well as Catholicism,… More
Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays
– Michael Oakeshott, Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays. London: Methuen, 1962.“It is the breadth of Oakeshott’s critique of rationalism, the scope of his skepticism about the role of self-conscious ideals, principles, and purposes in politics, that in… More
On Human Conduct
– Michael Oakeshott, On Human Conduct. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.From this website’s Introduction to Michael Oakeshott: “Oakeshott’s career was bookended by two major philosophical works—the first, Experience and its Modes, and the… More
Hobbes on Civil Association
– Michael Oakeshott, Hobbes on Civil Association. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1975.This book consists of Oakeshott’s four principal essays on Hobbes and on the nature of civil association as it pertains to ordered liberty. The essays are: “Introduction to… More
On History and Other Essays
– Michael Oakeshott, On History and Other Essays. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1983.“In this book’s first three essays, Professor Michael Oakeshott sets out to establish the nature, conditions, and limits of historical inquiry, but, for once, professional… More
The Voice of Liberal Learning
– Michael Oakeshott, The Voice of Liberal Learning. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1989.Timothy Fuller has here performed the valuable task of bringing together Michael Oakeshott’s most important essays on education. Fuller also includes a helpful introduction which… More
Morality and Politics in Modern Europe
– Michael Oakeshott, Morality and Politics. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.“In Morality and Politics in Modern Europe, Oakeshott argues that two conflicting moralities underlie two opposed understandings of the office of government in modern Europe. On one… More
Religion, Politics, and the Moral Life
– Michael Oakeshott, Religion, Politics, and the Moral Life. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.“Michael Oakeshott’s interest in religion and theology was especially prominent in his essays of the 1920s and 1930s. This book consists of four important unpublished pieces,… More
The Politics of Faith and the Politics of Skepticism
– Michael Oakeshott, The Politics of Faith and the Politics of Skepticism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.“In this polished and hitherto unknown work, Oakeshott argues that modern politics was constituted out of a debate, persistent through centuries of European political experience down… More
What is History? And Other Essays
– Michael Oakeshott, What is History? And Other Essays. Thorverton: Imprint Academic, 2004.“This highly readable new collection of thirty pieces by Michael Oakeshott, almost all of which are previously unpublished, covers every decade of his intellectual career, and adds… More
Lectures in the History of Political Thought
– Michael Oakeshott, Lectures in the History of Political Thought. Thorverton: Imprint Academic, 2006.Oakeshott’s memorable lectures on the history of political thought, delivered each year at the London School of Economics, will now be available in print for the first time. Based on… More
The Concept of a Philosophical Jurisprudence: Essays and Reviews 1926-51
– Michael Oakeshott, The Concept of a Philosophical Jurisprudence: Essays and Reviews 1926-51. Thorverton: Imprint Academic, 2006.“This volume brings together for the first time over a hundred of Oakeshott’s essays and reviews, written between 1926 and 1951, that until now have remained scattered through a… More
The Vocabulary of a Modern European State: Essays and Reviews 1952-88
– Michael Oakeshott, The Vocabulary of a Modern European State: Essays and Reviews 1952-88. Thorverton: Imprint Academic, 2008.“The Vocabulary of a Modern European State is the companion volume to The Concept of a Philosophical Jurisprudence and completes the enterprise of gathering together Oakeshott’s… More
Early Political Writings 1925-30
– Michael Oakeshott, Early Political Writings 1925-30. Thorverton: Imprint Academic, 2010.“Michael Oakeshott (1901–90) made his reputation as a political philosopher, but for a long time it seemed as if he had little interest in politics before 1945. His major pre-war… More
Essays
Work and Play
– Oakeshott, Michael. "Work and Play." First Things 54 (1995): 29-33Excerpt: Without pretending to be scientific about it, the world may be imagined to be a vast collection of existences—things and substances of various compositions and kinds—each of… More
On Being Conservative
– Oakeshott, Michael. "On Being Conservative." In Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, 2nd edition, pp. 407-437. Liberty Fund: Indianapolis, 1991.Oakeshott’s classic reflection on the disposition, as opposed to the ideology, of conservatism.
Rationalism in Politics
– Oakeshott, Michael. "Rationalism in Politics." In Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, 2nd edition, pp. 5-42. Liberty Fund: Indianapolis, 1991.From this site’s Introduction: In this, possibly his most renowned essay, “Oakeshott sketches out the ideal type of the ‘Rationalist,’ whose conduct is grounded… More
Introduction to Leviathan
– Oakeshott, Michael. "Introduction to Leviathan." In Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays, 2nd edition, pp. 221-294. Liberty Fund: Indianapolis, 1991.Oakeshott’s acclaimed introduction to the 1946 Blackwell edition of Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan which spurred a rethinking of Hobbes’s thought and influenced a generation… More
Complete Bibliography of Oakeshott’s Works
– A complete bibliography of all of Michael Oakeshott's published works, compiled by the Michael Oakeshott Association.Commentary
Oakeshott’s Philosophical Politics
– W.H. Greenleaf. Oakeshott's Philosophical Politics. London: Longmans, 1966.No excerpt available.
Politics and Experience: Essays Presented to Professor Michael Oakeshott on the Occasion of His Retirement
– Preston King and B.C. Parekh. Politics and Experience: Essays Presented to Professor Michael Oakeshott on the Occasion of his Retirement. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968.This volume was compiled in 1968 to honour the retirement of the eminent political philosopher Professor Michael Oakeshott. Professor Oakeshott, widely regarded as one of the most important… More
The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott by Gertrude Himmelfarb
– Gertrude Himmelfarb. “The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott,” American Scholar 44, no. 3 (1975): 405-420.Excerpt: “Abjuring both political science and political philosophy as these are normally understood, Oakeshott has nevertheless acquired a distinguished body of disciples, and not… More
Individuality, Civility and Theory: The Philosophical Imagination of Michael Oakeshott
– J.L. Auspitz. “Individuality, Civility and Theory: The Philosophical Imagination of Michael Oakeshott,” Political Theory, no. 4 (1976): 261-294.Excerpt: Even before the publication last year of his extraordinary new book there was sufficient evidence to argue that Michael Oakeshott was the most genuinely philosophical mind writing… More
The Creation of the Past: British Idealism and Michael Oakeshott’s Philosophy of History
– David Boucher. “The Creation of the Past: British Idealism and Michael Oakeshott's Philosophy of History,” History and Theory 23, no. 2 (1975): 193-214.Excerpt: Michael Oakeshott shared the general concerns of British idealists and leaned heavily upon their conclusions. As with any mode of understanding, history creates its own object of… More
Michael Oakeshott as Liberal Theorist
– W.J. Coats. “ Michael Oakeshott as Liberal Theorist,” Canadian Journal of Political Science 18, no. 4 (1985): 773-787.Excerpt: This article cautions against facilely casting Oakeshott’s thought in the mold of either Kantian liberalism for its account of civil association as purely formal association… More
Oakeshott
– Robert Grant. Oakeshott. London: The Claridge Press, 1990.No excerpt available.
Oakeshott’s Hobbesian Myth: Pride, Character and the Limits of Reason
– B.P. Frohnen. “Oakeshott's Hobbesian Myth: Pride, Character and the Limits of Reasons,” The Western Political Quarterly 43, (1990): 789-809.Excerpt: Taking philosophical skepticism to its limit, Michael Oakeshott questions both the coherence of noncontextual thought and the primary role of reason itself in making sense of the… More
The Political Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott by Paul Franco
– Paul Franco. The Political Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990.Excerpt: This is the first full-length study of the thought of Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990), arguably the most important British political philosopher of the twentieth century. Paul Franco… More
The Work of Michael Oakeshott
– Timothy Fuller. “In Memoriam: Michael Oakeshott, 1901-1990: The Work of Michael Oakeshott,” Political Theory 19, no. 3 (1991): 326-333.Excerpt: Oakeshott surveyed the world without feeling compelled to roam it. Seeking to understand himself, he welcomed travelers whose conversation would complement his own and check his… More
The Achievement of Michael Oakeshott
– Jesse Norman. The Achievement of Michael Oakeshott. London: Duckworth, 1993.No excerpt available.
Oakeshott and His Contemporaries
– W.J. Coats. Oakeshott and His Contemporaries. Selinsgrove: Susquehanna University Press, 2000.Excerpt: Oakeshott and His Contemporaries is an exploration of the ideas of one of the most important twentieth-century, English, political philosophers vis-a-vis related ideas in the… More
Michael Oakeshott on European Political History
– Luke O'Sullivan. “Michael Oakeshott on European Political History,” History of Political Thought 21, no. 1 (1975): 132-151.Excerpt: This article examines Michael Oakeshott’s views on European political history, based on the essays, reviews, lectures and unpublished works which he produced through out his… More
The Skeptic’s Oakeshott
– Steven Anthony Gerencser. The Skeptic's Oakeshott. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000.Excerpt: The Skeptic’s Oakeshott poses the thesis that Michael Oakeshott’s political philosophy is best understood from the vantage point of his skepticism and his intellectual affinity… More
The Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott
– Terry Nardin. The Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.Excerpt: This is the first comprehensive study of Michael Oakeshott as a philosopher rather than a political theorist, which is how most commentators have regarded him. Indeed, the careful… More
Michael Oakeshott, Philosopher: A Commemoration of the Centenary of Oakeshott’s Birth
– Leslie Marsh. Michael Oakeshott, Philosopher: A Commemoration of the Centenary of Oakeshott's Birth. London: Michael Oakeshott Association, 2001.Excerpt: Oakeshott occupies an unusual place within the 20th century philosophy: his reputation made as a political philosopher is as misunderstood within political circles, as his… More
The Voice of Poetry in the Thought of Michael Oakeshott
– Efraim Podoksik. “The Voice of Poetry in the Thought of Michael Oakeshott,” Journal of the History of Ideas 63, no. 4 (2002): 717-733.Excerpt: The British philosopher Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990) is mostly known as a political thinker of conservative persuasion, and his general philosophy is usually analyzed only in… More
In Defense of Modernity: Vision and Philosophy in Michael Oakeshott
– Efraim Podoksik. In Defense of Modernity: Vision and Philosophy in Michael Oakeshott. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2003.Excerpt: Although Oakeshott’s philosophy has received considerable attention, the vision which underlies it has been almost completely ignored. This vision, which is rooted in the… More
Oakeshott on History
– Luke O'Sullivan. Oakeshott on History. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2003.Excerpt: This book challenges the common view that Michael Oakeshott was mainly important as a political philosopher by offering the first comprehensive study of his ideas on history. It… More
Michael Oakeshott on Hobbes: A Study in the Renewal of Philosophical Ideas
– Ian Tregenza. Michael Oakeshott on Hobbes: A Study in the Renewal of Philosophical Ideas. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2003.Excerpt: Michael Oakeshott is widely recognized to be one of the most original political philosophers of the twentieth century. He also developed a very influential interpretation of the… More
The Skeptical Idealist: Michael Oakeshott as Critic of the Enlightenment
– Roy Tseng. The Skeptical Idealist: Michael Oakeshott as Critic of the Enlightenment. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2003.Excerpt: This is the first book-length study to provide a structured interpretation of the significance of Michael Oakeshott’s critique of the Enlightenment. By seeing the thinker as… More
Michael Oakeshott: An Introduction
– Paul Franco. Michael Oakeshott: An Introduction. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004.In this book Paul Franco provides an authoritative introduction to the life and thought of Michael Oakeshott, one of the most important philosophical voices of the twentieth century. After… More
The Limits of Political Theory: Oakeshott’s Philosophy of Civil Association
– Kenneth McIntyre. The Limits of Political Theory: Oakeshott's Philosophy of Civic Association. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2004.Excerpt: This book examines Oakeshott’s political philosophy within the context of his more general conception of philosophical understanding. The book stresses the underlying continuity… More
The Intellectual Legacy of Michael Oakeshott
– Timothy Fuller. The Intellectual Legacy of Michael Oakeshott. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2005.This volume brings together a diverse range of perspectives reflecting the international appeal and multi-disciplinary interest that Oakeshott now attracts. The essays offer a variety of… More
Religious and Poetic Experience in the Thought of Michael Oakeshott
– Glenn Worthington. Religious and Poetic Experience in the Thought of Michael Oakeshott. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2005.Excerpt: Much of the scholarly attention attracted by Michael Oakeshott’s writings has focused upon his philosophical characterization of the relations that constitute moral… More
The Politics and Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott
– Stuart Isaacs. The Politics and Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott. London: Routledge, 2006.The Politics and Philosophy of Michael Oakeshott reveals how his work relates to contemporary political philosophy (for example, Arendt, Rorty, Rawls); and moreover, how it links to broader… More
Michael Oakeshott on Religion, Aesthetics, and Politics
– Corey, Elizabeth Campbell. Michael Oakeshott on Religion, Aesthetics and Politics. Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2006.Elizabeth Campbell Corey makes the case that Oakeshott’s moral and political philosophies are more informed by religious and aesthetic considerations than has previously been supposed.… More
Intimations Pursued: The Voice of Practice in the Conversation of Michael Oakeshott
– Andrew Sullivan. Intimations Pursued: The Voice of Practice in the Conversation of Michael Oakeshott. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2007.In this book Andrew Sullivan examines Oakeshott’s transition from his original emphasis on philosophy as providing what was ultimately satisfactory in experience to his later emphasis on… More
Michael Oakeshott, the Ancient Greeks, and the Philosophical Study of Politics
– Eric Kos. Michael Oakeshott, the Ancient Greeks, and the Philosophical Study of Politics. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2007.Excerpt: This book addresses a question fundamental for Oakeshott throughout his life, which is what we are doing when we read and discuss some memorable work in the history of political… More
Education and the Voice of Michael Oakeshott
– Kevin Williams. Education and the Voice of Michael Oakeshott. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2007.Excerpt: The work of Michael Oakeshott has retained a striking currency in philosophical discourse about education. This is hardly surprising in view of his influence on Paul Hirst and… More
A Companion to Michael Oakeshott
– Franco, Paul and Leslie Marsh, eds. A Companion to Michael Oakeshott. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012.Excerpt: Michael Oakeshott has long been recognized as one of the most important political philosophers of the twentieth century, but until now no single volume has been able to examine all… More
Michael Oakeshott on the Rule of Law by Timothy Fuller
– Timothy Fuller, "Michael Oakeshott on the Rule of Law and the Liberal Order," Journal of Law and Liberty, September: 2012.A defining theme of Michael Oakeshott’s thought is that, through the past five centuries, European civilization can count among its greatest achievements the invention of “civil… More
The Cambridge Companion to Oakeshott edited by Efraim Podoksik
– Podoksik, Efraim, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Oakeshott. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2012In this volume a broad group of scholars offers a comprehensive overview of Oakeshott’s philosophy, including his moral and political philosophy, his philosophy of history, science… More
Oakeshott’s Ideal of the Liberal State
– Elizabeth Corey, "Oakeshott's Ideal of the Liberal State," Online Library of Law and Liberty, September: 2012.It’s hard to imagine an event that more perfectly illustrates Michael Oakeshott’s notion of telocracy than the Supreme Court decision, in a 5-4 vote, that President Obama’s signature… More
The Religious Sensibility of Michael Oakeshott
– Corey, Elizabeth. "The Religious Sensibility of Michael Oakeshott." A Companion to Michael Oakeshott. Edited by Paul Franco and Leslie March, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012, pp. 134–150.Excerpt: I have often thought that one of the best introductions to the philosophy of Michael Oakeshott is a children’s book by Arnold Lobel. Grasshopper on the Road describes the journey… More
Oakeshott on Rome and America
– Gene Callahan. Oakeshott on Rome and America. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2013.Excerpt: The political systems of the Roman Republic were based almost entirely on tradition, “the way of the ancestors”, rather than on a written constitution. While the founders of… More
Oakeshott’s Concept of Ideology
– David Corey. “Oakeshott's Concept of Ideology,” Journal of Political Ideologies 19, no. 3 (2014): 261-282.Excerpt: Michael Oakeshott’s critique of ‘political rationalism’ is often regarded as a unique contribution to the study of 20th-century ‘ideologies.’ But, in fact, Oakeshott… More
Rationalism and the Rule of Law: Michael Oakeshott and the American Constitutional Order
– Corey, Elizabeth. "Rationalism and the Rule of Law: Michael Oakeshott and the American Constitutional Order." American Political Thought 4, no. 4 (2015): 632-52.Abstract: Many commentators have mentioned the fact that Michael Oakeshott describes the American founding as a “Rationalist” project. But there has been little careful… More
Multimedia
Michael Oakeshott’s Cold War Liberalism
– On November 9-10, 2012, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies held the second conference of the Asan Cold War Liberalism Project. The theme of the second conference was: “Michael Oakeshott’s Cold War Liberalism."Andrew Sullivan on Michael Oakeshott
– Columnist Andrew Sullivan reflecting on his discovery of the writings of Michael Oakeshott. 2 minutes.The Daily Beast Television. A reader asks: Could you summarize Oakeshott’s political theories and how they’ve influenced you?
MP Jesse Norman: Oakeshott on Liberal Education
– The audio from a talk given by British Member of Parliament Jesse Norman entitled, "Where PPE Went Wrong: Oakeshott's Liberal Learning, Liberalism and the University." 21 minutes.(PPE is a university degree from Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics)